Parenting a child with special needs is a profound and difficult endeavor. In this talk, I provide a comprehensive look at what having a child with special needs entails in parenting and the world at large, and dive into the emotional, financial, and familial dynamic challenges associated with this unique situation. Alongside a deepened awareness of these complexities, this talk will leave audiences with a renewed appreciation for and understanding of the beauty of special needs parenting.

Intended Audience: Parents, Family, and Friends of those parenting children with special needs, School Staff.

Contrary to popular belief, grief does not cease to exist until a loved one passes. Anticipatory grief—the grief that occurs in anticipation of loss—is a devastating and common experience among the families and friends of those facing a dire prognosis, as well as the individual themselves. In this talk, I share my family's personal experiences with anticipatory grief, the way it has impacted our relationships, and how dealing with impending death taught us how to live in light, love, and joy, even when navigating unthinkable loss.

Intended Audience: Parents, Family, and Friends of those parenting children with life-limiting conditions, Medical Professionals.

More than fifty thousand chronically ill children die in the U.S. each year, and as a mother of one of them, I know those parents are in desperate need of understanding and validation. Through sharing testimonials from parents who have experienced child loss and professionals who help these parents, as well as providing tangible ways the community at large can offer their support, this talk seeks to raise awareness of the devastating experience of losing a child, helping to foster difficult yet vital conversations that act as a bridge from isolation to community.

Intended Audience: Parents, Family, and Friends of those parenting children with life-limiting conditions, Medical Professionals.

What is it like having a child who is medically complex? What does being deemed medically complex entail? This talk examines the family experience of complex care, delving into medical approaches, multidisciplinary care, shared decision-making, and my personal experience as a physician navigating the medical system as a parent alongside my medically complex daughter, Soraya.

Intended Audience: Medical Professionals, Medical Residents, and Medical Students.

With a lifelong passion for social justice and years of teaching experience on the subject, I am available and eager to speak about a myriad of social justice topics. These include reviewing concepts of social identities, identifying marginalized communities, conveying the importance of being an ally, providing examples of how to be an ally in the medical field and the world at large, and more. Depending on the needs of the audience, this talk can be delivered as an intergroup dialogue or as a traditional presentation.

Intended Audience: Hospitals, Medical Schools, Organizations, and Groups. Great for team-building.

Not seeing the topic you’re looking for? I would love to discuss how I can use my experience as a mother, physician, wife, author, and advocate to craft a customized talk that engages your audience and sparks meaningful conversations long after your event. Get in touch!

Suggested topics: Hospice, Palliative Care, Patient Advocacy, Mental Health, Invisible Illness.